More Americans than ever dial up health care info

More than a third of Americans regard their smartphones as critical to maintaining their health.

That’s the indication from Cybercitizen Health U.S., a Manhattan Research study of 8,605 U.S. adults. Asked about the importance of their smartphones to their healthcare, 38 percent called the chirping, glowing rectangles “essential.”

Overall, the study found, the number of people relying on their phones to some degree to learn about health is skyrocketing. A year ago, 75 million people used mobile phones for health information. This year, the number was 95 million, Manhattan Research estimated — up 27 percent.

Patient segment by patient segment, usage can vary greatly. Online patient audiences who are most likely to be mobile health users:

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